Story of Sociology

Gregor McLennan is Chair of Sociology at Bristol University and Director of the University's Institute for Advanced Studies. Previously, he was Head of Department at Massey University. He is one of the world's foremost scholars in social theory and the author of the leading intoductory sociology textbook in New Zealand.

• Why Sociology?; Sociology as Understanding Modernity; Legacies of Enlightenment; Three Founders; Three Classics; Three Other Classics; American Hegemony; Conflict, Contention, Synthesis; From the Past to the Posts; Twenty-first-century Sociology; Next Steps

This is a superb short introduction to sociological theory. It captures the dilemmas of sociological argument as well as its different traditions and sensibilities. It is concise without being shallow and will be a true companion on a student's journey through his or her studies. It provides an excellent overview for the start of the journey but, like any good guide book, it will repay consultation while on the journey.